Display and merchandise supports



March 1, 1966 E. M. LEVY DISPLAY AND MERCHANDISE SUPPORTS Filed Dec. 11,1953 INVENTOR. Edward M. Levy wood, metal, fiber board, and othermaterials.

panels are provided with uniformly spaced holes or perfon.

United States Patent DISPLAY AND Mnncmnsorsa SUPPORTS Edward, M. Levy,Evanston, HL, assignor to Reflector Hardware Corporation, Chicago, 111.,a corporation of Illinois Application December 11, 1953, Serial No.397,619

3 Claims. (Cl. 243-423) The present invention relates to improvements inmer chandise display fixtures and more particularly to improvements in amerchandise display supporting bracket of the type which is adapted tobe demountably attached in a plurality of different positions on theface of an upright perforated panel to display and support various itemsof merchandise on racks, rods, or the like, secured to the bracket.

The present invention is a direct improvement over that disclosed in mycopending application Serial No. 304,274, filed August 14, 1952, nowPatent 2,766,958.

In the merchandising field, retail stores have been able to increasetheir sales volume by displaying the different items of merchandise infull view of the purchasing public on support brackets which may bedemountably carried on upstanding perforated panels constructed ofwallboard, These ations therein in spaced-apart vertical and horizontalrows for the purpose of detachahly receiving the merchandise supports,clips or brackets which have been specifically designed to display thedifierent items of merchandise. The material from which the panels aremade, the weight and size of the merchandise to be carried on thedetachable supporting brackets, and the type of the hooks onthemerchandise supporting brackets, normally govern the thickness of thepanels. Generally, the perforated panels are approximately one-eighthinch 'thick, but this thickness maybe varied as noted above. Therefore,a merchandise supportingbracket used in combination with such panels isprovided with offset tongue means, hooks, or the like, having one ormore horizontal offset leg portions thereon of a length substantiallyequal to the thickness of the panel andhaving .a cross-sectional areawhich is somewhat less than the diameter of the perforations in thepanel. Also, the thickness of the material of the merchandise supportingbracket is normally less thanfthe "thickness of the panel. With thisarrangement, the tongue'me'ans, hooks, or the. like, on

the merchandise supporting bracket may be inserted throughcooperatingperforations in thepanel so that an upstanding leg portion at the rearend of each of the supporting items of merchandise for display purposeson a perforated panel of the type noted. However, it has been found thateach time this type ofbracket is mounted on the panel and subsequentlyremoved therefrom to alter a display, the rearwardly extending hooks onthe bracket are jammed in the cooperating perforations in the panel.Consequently, in order to free the hook members on the jammed bracket,additional force or pressure is applied =thereto. This causes the frontedge, as well .as the rear edge, of the periphery of each perforation tobe crushed and badly distorted. In other words, the perforations whichhave been used by the supporting brackets are sufficiently mutilated todestroy the symmetry of the perforations and the decorative paintedsurface is chipped off of the front surface of the panel in the areasurrounding the perforations. Also, when the additional force is appliedto free the hook members they are badly bent and rendered useless. Ifthe displays on the perforated panel are changed at frequent intervals,by changing the positions of the merchandise supporting brackets, thedisplay panel becomes less and less attractive as more and more of theperforations are mutilated in the manner noted above. Inasmuch as agreat many of the perforated panels now in use are made of relativelysoft materials, the amount of mutilation of each of the perforationstherein is suflicient to render the panels useless as an attractivedecorative display for merchandise within a very short time. It is themain object of the present invention to provide an improved merchandisesupporting bracket which peripheral edges of the perforations thereinand without bending the hooks thereon.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pivot pointon the main body portion of the support bracket so that the rearwardlyand upwardly extending legs on the bracket will easily pass through theperforations in the display panel in either direction without binding orjamming in the perforations in the panel.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide animproved merchandise support bracket of the type noted above, which isof universal construction and in which the front body or base portion ofthe bracket is used as the supporting member for racks, rods, and thelike, of various kinds, types and shapes which are designed to carrydifferent items of merchandise.

it is still another object of the present invention to provide amerchandise support bracket for use in displaying merchandise on aperforated panel, which is fabricated from a single sheet of metal,plastic or the like, comprising a flat front body member that willdistribute the Weight of an article of merchandise supported thereonover a considerable area of the front surface of the perforated paneland a pair of leg members formed adjacent to the upper edge of the bodymember for demountably supporting the bracket on the panel and. at leastone upstanding ear formed along the upper edge of the body member whichis provided to permit the leg members to readily pass in eitherdirection through the perforations in the panel without jamming orbinding therein.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbest be understood from the following description thereof taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in Which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the present merchandisedisplaysupporting bracket, the support being shown demountably attachedto a fragment of an upright perforated panel;

Fig. 2 is a slightly enlarged front elevation, of a supporting bracketof the type shown in my previously noted rear edges of the perforationsin the panel when the bracket is being removed therefrom;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front elevation of the improved merchandisedisplay supporting bracket of the present invention and shows a smallportion of the perforated panel of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a 'vertical section taken along line 66 of Fig. 5 andillustrates the manner in which the improved merchandise displaysupporting bracket of the present invention is detachably mounted on theperforated panel; and,

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View of the panel shown in Fig. 6 andshows the manner in which the rearwardly extending legs of the improvedmerchandise display supporting bracket of the present invention arepivotally rotated out of the perforations without jamming or bindingtherein when the bracket is being removed from the panel.

As illustrated in the drawings, the basic element of the merchandisedisplay supporting bracket in all of its forms is a unitary member,shown generally at 119, comprising an upstanding base plate 11 having aflat rear surface 12 of substantial area adapted to lie verticallyagainst and bear upon the frontface 13 of an upright or verticallydisposed panel 14 having a plurality of uniformly spaced circularperforations 15 therein arranged in equally spaced-apart vertical andhorizontal rows. The support member 10 is preferably stamped and formedfrom a single sheet of metal or the like, with a plurality of identicalhook portions formed integrally upon and extending rearwardly from theupper edge 16 of the base plate 11. These hook portions are spaced aparta distance equal to the spacing between adjacent perforations 15, but itshould be understood that the base plate 11 may be extended so that hookportions thereon are spaced apart a distance equal to any multiple ofthe spacing between adjacent perforations 15.

Each hook portion comprises a longitudinally straight first leg element17 having one end integral with the upper edge 16 on the base plate 11and extending rearwardly therefrom at right angles to the plane of thebase plate, each leg 17 being adapted to extend completely through oneof the perforations 15. The length of each leg 17 will be determined inaccordance with the thickness of the perforated panel on which thesupport member 10 is to be used. Normally, the thickness of the panelwill be at least one-eighth inch or greater and the thickness of thematerial from which the merchandise support bracket is fabricated willbe less than the thickness of the panel on which it is to be used. Theouter extremity of each leg 17 is bent upwardly to provide a secondupstanding leg element 18 that is substantially parallel to the plane ofthe base plate 11 and is adapted to bear upon the rear surface 21 of thepanel 14 when weight is applied to the front of the base plate, as willhereinafter be explained.

In order to increase the longitudinal rigidity of each of the rearwardlyextending legs 17 and to provide a transversely curved lower surface 19thereon having a radius slightly less than the radius of the inner wallsof the perforations 15, the upper surfaces of the first legs 17 aretransversely dished, as at 20, throughout their entire lengths toprovide them with a convexo-concave cross section. As a result of thisdished condition of the upper surfaces 20 and the resultingcorresponding curvature of the lower surfaces 19 of the legs 17, theselegs may bear downwardly forcefully upon the inner walls of theperforations 15 without distorting those walls, even though the panel 14may be fabricated from relatively soft material such as ordinarywallboard, or the like. If desired, the upstanding legs 18, as shown inthe drawing,

- may also be given the same transverse curvature as that given to thelegs 17, since this imparts to legs 18 increased longitudinal rigidity.

In the form of the mechandise display supporting bracket 10 illustratedin the drawings, an outwardly extending rod 22, shown in dotted lines torepresent any desired form or shape of rack for carrying mechandise, maybe welded or otherwise secured to the front surface of the base plate11. The particular size, shape or character of the specific rack, rod orother device for carrying merchandise which is secured to and supportedby the base plate 11 forms no part of the present invention and it iscontemplated that the support bracket 10 may be universally employed incombination with all such racks for carrying mechandise.

It will thus be apparent to those skilled in the art that the presentmerchandise display supporting bracket 10 may be constructed with racksfor carrying merchandise which have numerous variations depending uponthe particular character of the items of merchandise to be displayed onthe panel. It should be noted, however, that the force of the weight ofthe merchandise to be carried by the support bracket is transmitted tothe perforated panel at a plurality of surfaces having, in combination,a very considerable area. A large portion of this force is transmittedto the front face 13 of the panel 14 by the flat base plate 11 whichbears upon that face. Another portion of the force is applied to thebottom half of the inner walls of the perforations 15 by thetransversely curved under surfaces 19 of the leg elements 17, and theremainder of the force is transmitted to the back surface 21 of thepanel 14 by the upstanding legs 18.

It will thus be appreciated that the merchandise support bracket 10 isso constructed that the force of the weight of the merchandise carriedon the racks or the like secured to the base plate 11 of the supportbracket 10 is transmitted to the panel 14 at several places and over asubstantial area of the panel, thereby making it possible for thesupport and panel to bear loads of considerable magnitude withoutdistorting or otherwise damaging a perforated panel constructed ofrelatively soft material.

The foregoing description of the improved merchandise support bracket 10of the present invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7, alsoapplies to the merchandise support bracket 10a illustrated in Figs. 2, 3and 4 which is the same as my prior bracket disclosed in the previouslymentioned copending application. Consequently, the same referencecharacters have been used to designate corresponding parts in thedrawing except that the suffix a has been added to the referencecharacters designating the corresponding parts of the elements of myprior bracket 10a shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

A description will now be given of the manner in which my priormerchandise support bracket 10a shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 is removedfrom and replaced on the perforated panel 14a. With the bracket 10asupported on the panel 14a in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3, thelower end of the base plate 11a is rotated or pivoted upwardly and awayfrom the front surface 13a of the panel 14a until it reaches theposition shown in Fig. 4. In this position, the forward upper surfacesof the longitudinal first leg element 17a engage the upper curve frontperipheral edge of the perforation 15a in the panel 14a and the rearlower curve surface 19a of the rear end of the first leg element 17aengages the lower curved rear peripheral edge of the perforation 15a.Further upward rotation of the base plate 11a in an attempt to removethe support 10a from the panel 14a causes the elements noted above totightly wedge, bind and jam in the perforation 15a as can be readilyappreciated by reference to Fig. 4. When the additional upward pressureis exerted, the above noted elements of the bracket 10a will dig intothe soft material of the panel 14a at the upper front and lower rearperipheral edges of the perforation 15a and will chip the paint from thesurface 13a of the pan l 14a surrounding the perforation 15a and willdestroy and distort the clean, sharp peripheral upper front and lowerrear peripheral edges of the panel 15a. The additional pressure exertedona bracket that is thus wedged or otherwise jammed in the perforations15 may also cause the legs 17a to bend at the junction with the baseplate 11a. Since each merchandise support bracket a is provided with atleast two legs 17a and since a plurality of such brackets are normallyused in various combinations on the panel 14a indisplaying items ofmerchandise in an artistic and attractive manner, a large number of theperforations a are mutilated each time a display is changed. For thisreason, it has been necessary to replace the perforated panels 14a andthe brackets 10a at frequent intervals. It should be understood,however, that a certain amount of mutilation of the edges of theperforations 15a can be avoided provided a certain amount of careandpatience is exercised in removing the brackets 10a from the panel14a. This can be accomplished by carefully sliding the bracket 10aslightly forward just before it reaches the position shown in Fig. 4 andthen further rotating the bracket upwardly as it is pulled in theforward direction until the upstanding leg 18a is in a position to clearthe edges of the perforation 15a to .permit the bracket to be withdrawnfrom the panel 14a. It has been found, however, that even though themerchants had been warned to be particularly careful in removing themerchandise support bracket 10a from the associated panel 14a that thepanel becomes unsightly and must be replaced after the displays thereonhad been changed a few times. i

After the support bracket 10a has been removed from the panel 14a in themanner described above, it maybe relocated in any other desiredpositionby first inserting thelegs 18a into a pairof perforations 15a and thenrotatingor pivoting. the support bracket 10:: downwardly to bring thebase plate 11a into conatct with the front surface 13a of the panel 14a.The problem of mutilation of the edges of the perforations 15a is not asserious in replacing the support bracket 10a on the panel as it isduring the time it is removed therefrom because the legs 18a and 17apivot more freely in the perforations 15a although a certain amount ofmutilation occurs as the upper surfaces of the leg 17a are inadvertentlyor carelessly jammed against the upper front peripheral edges of theperforations 15a. After the merchandise support brackets 10a have beenreplaced on the panel 14a, they are ready to receive and support theitems of merchandise so that they are suitably displayed and more ofsuch ear elementsproperly placed may be utilized to carry out theimproved function of permitting the removal and replacement of thebracket in the perforations on an associated panel'without mutilatingthe perforations therein. Also the upstanding ear elements 24 may bepositioned outside the hooks instead of between them as illustrated inthe drawings.

In order to remove the improved merchandise support bracket 10 from theperforated panel 14, the lower portion thereof is rotated or pivotedupwardly and away from the front surface 13 of the panel 14 in exactlythe same manner as previously described in connection with the removalof the prior bracket 10a from the panel 14a. However, due to theposition and length of the upstanding ears 24 above the upper edge 16 ofthe bracket, the rear of the :upper edge 25 provides a pivot point withthe front surface 13 of the panel 14, about which the base plate 11 isrotated as it is rotated outwardly and upwardly to remove the bracketfrom the panel. As the rotary movement of the base plate 11 continues,the rear upper edge 25 slides along the front surface 13 of the panel 14and permits the curved portions of the lowor end of the leg 17, where itjoins with the upstanding leg 18, to clear the lower rear edge surfaceof the perforation 15. Also, due to the pivotal action between 'theupper edge 25 of the ear elements 24 along the surface 13 on the panel14, the front curved portion of the leg .18, where it joins with theupper edge 16 of the base plate 11, is rotated out and away from theupper front edge of the perforation 15. Thus, the merchandise supportbracket 10 may easily be removed from the panel 14 without jamming,binding or mutilating the peripheral edges of the perforations 15 or thehooks on the bracket itself.

After the support bracket 10 has been removed in the manner noted above,it may be relocated in any other r desired position on the panel 14 byfirst inserting the carried by the particular merchandise rack or racksthat are secured to the front surface of the base plate 11a. Aspreviously noted, the merchandise .rack secured to the base plate 11a isschematically represented by the dotted broken rod 22a and may be of anydesired shape or size to conveniently carry the particular item ofmerchandise to be displayed.

A description will now begiven of the manner in which 7 the improvedmerchandise support bracket 10 of the present invention, shown in Figs.1, 5, 6 and 7, is removed and replaced on the panel 14 withoutmutilating the perforations 15 therein. At the outset it should be notedthat in my improved support bracket 10, two spaced-apart upstanding earelements 24 are integrally formed as an upward extension with the baseplate 11 along the upper edge 16 thereof. Attention is directed to thefact that the upper edge 16 of the base plate 11, on the support bracket10, as well as the corresponding upper edge 16a of the support bracket19a, is positioned a slight distance above a line drawn between thelower curved surfaces 19 on the spaced-apart rearwardly extending legs17 as shownin Figs. 5 and 6. The upper edges 25 of the upstanding earelements 24 on the base plate 11 are positioned approximately inalignment with the upper edge of two spaced apart perforations 15 asshown in Figs. 5 and 6. Although two upstanding ear elements 24 havebeen shown on the merchandise support bracket 10, it should beunderstood that one or legs 18 into a cooperating pair of perforations15 and then rotating or pivoting the support bracket downwardly to bringthe base plate 11 into contact with the front face 13 of the panel 14.During this operation, the rear upper edge 25 again provides the slidingpivot point with the front surface 13 on the panel 14 to guide the legelements 18 and 17 in the order named through the associatedperforations 15 Without jamming, binding or distorting the peripheraledges of the perforations.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed by Way of illustration, it will be understood that variousmodifications may be made therein which come Within the true spirit andscope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A. merchandise support bracket demountably secured upon an uprightpanel having a plurality of vertically and horizontally spaced-apartperforations therein comprising, a vertically disposed single-pieceimperforate base plate having a horizontal upper edge and having a rearsurface bearing against the front surface of said panel, a pair oflaterally spaced-apart hook members integrally formed upon said upperedge of said plate, each of said hook members including a leg integrallyjoined to said upper edge of said base plate and extending rearwardlytherefrom through one of said perforations of said panel and thenupwardly along the rear surface of said panel, the undersurf-aces of therearwardly extending portions of said legs normally resting on said anelwithin said perforations so as vertically to support said base plate,the upwardly extending portions of said. legs being adapted to bearagainst the rear surface of said panel to prevent withdrawal of saidlegs from said perforations while said base plate is vertically disposedon said panel, and an ear integrally formed on said upper edge of saidbase plate and projecting upwardly therefrom, the upper extremity ofsaid ear terminating in a top edge located well above said upper edge ofsaid base plate and well above said rearwardly extending portions ofsaid legs, said top edgeof said ear being adapted to contact the frontsurface of said panel to provide an axis of pivotation about which saidbase plate may be rotated in a direction away from the front of saidpanel in order to remove said support bracket from said panel, thepresence of said top edge of said ear at an elevation above said upperedge of said base plate causing a partial but substantial withdrawal ofsaid legs from said perforations simultaneously with the pivotalmovement of said plate, thereby tending to avoid binding of said legs insaid perforations during removal of said support bracket from saidpanel.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said ear is located onsaid uper edge of said base plate between the junctions of said hookmembers with said upper edge.

3. A merchandise support bracket demountably secured upon an uprightpanel having a plurality of vertically and horizontally spaced-apartperforations therein comprising, a vertically disposed single-pieceimperforate base plate having a horizontal upper edge and having a rearsurface bearing against the front surface of said panel, a pair oflaterally spaced-apart hook members integrally formed upon said upperedge of said plate, each of said hook members including a leg integrallyjoined to said upper edge of said base plate and extending rearwardlytherefrom through one of said perforations of said panel and thenupwardly along the rear surface of said panel, each of said hook membersbeing transversely dished along the length thereof to impart increasedlongitudinal and transverse rigidity thereto, the undersurfaces of therearwardly extending portions of said legs normally resting on saidpanel within said perforations so as vertically to support said baseplate, the

upwardly extending portions of said legs being adapted to bear againstthe rear surface of said panel to prevent withdrawal of said legs fromsaid perforations while said base plate is vertically disposed on saidpanel, and a pair of laterally spaced-apart ears integrally formed onsaid upper edge of said base plate and projecting upwardly therefrombetween the junctions of said hook members with said upper edge of saidbase plate, the upper extremity of said ears respectively terminating intop edges lying along a straight line located well above said upper edgeof said base plate and well above said rearwardly extending portions ofsaid legs, said top edges of said ears being adapted to contact thefront surface of said panel to provide an axis of pivotation about whichsaid base plate may be rotated in a'direction away from the front ofsaid panel in order to remove said support bracket from said panel, thepresence of said top edges of said ears at an elevation above said upperedge of said base plate causing a partial but substantial withdrawal ofsaid legs from said perforations simultaneously with the pivotalmovement of said plate, thereby tending to avoid binding said legs insaid perforations during removal of said support bracket from saidpanel. 3

References fiited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS241,991 Jones May 24, 1881 1,416,969 OConnor May 23, 1922 1,504,522Sherer Aug. 16, 1924 2,213,115 Bales Aug. 27, 1940 2,240,225 Place Apr.29, 1941 2,542,753 De Swart Feb. 20, 1951 2,614,701 Mapson Oct. 21, 19522,810,539 Levy et a1 Oct. 22, 1957

